France, Oct. 10 -- The United States' closest European and Arab partners have met in Paris to work on how to shape Gaza'spost-war future, hours after Israel and Hamas agreed to aceasefireand prisoner-hostage swap proposed by US PresidentDonald Trump.

Israel's government ratified a ceasefire with the Palestinian militant group Hamas early Friday, a dayafter mediators announced an agreement to free 20 living Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

It is part of the first phase of US President Donald Trump's initiative to end the two-year war in Gaza.

Major questions remain, including over governance and reconstruction of a largely destroyed territory, as well as whether Hamas will disarm - a key Israeli demand that the mi...